Tuesday 10.30am

Well maybe we aren’t going anywhere…

We are still tied up to our solid, friendly little jetty at Lady Barron. We are becoming increasingly fond of this jetty because…the wind is blowing most powerfully! How attractive is it to make a cup of coffee and sit in the gently rocking cabin with our computers, novels, newspapers?? We have filled up our watertank, our food cupboards are stocked, and we are ready to go…but not into the teeth of a gale!

Getting on and off the boat is a challenge. The gap between the jetty and the deck is quite wide, and the tide is low. There is a useful metal ladder on the jetty but to get to it, we have to stretch our legs wide as can be and reach, perilously, for the rungs, or the boat railings. For some reason I don’t find in the least difficult or intimidating – my childhood as a monkeygirl climbing trees and walking along fences in Waddamana have finally borne fruit! And really, the worst that could happen would be a plunge into the sea…cold and yucky and a bit of a shock. But not life-threatening.

I forgot to say, when I was writing about Barbara and KR, that they go away in a camper-bus every year for four months or so, grey-nomading around the Outback. And one of the things they do while they are away, which amazed me is…they go and sing, in choirs! Sing Australia has this great program, where choirs in every remote or city location can join up. Presumably they all get a similar repertoire to learn and enjoy. And if you belong to any of these affiliated choirs, you are more than welcome to rock up on a Thursday night and sing…with a whole lot of new friends. The Flinders choir meets at Whitemark once a week. I was flabbergasted to hear there are 40 members, at least half of them men! The population of the whole island is only 750!!

Tuesday 5.00

We spent most of the day tossing around tied up to the jetty with an ever-increasing number of ropes, feeling very secure, and happy we weren’t out on the wild wild sea. This afternoon we went for a walk in the bitter wind, to the shop to buy the Mercury – oh deary me, more shame and scandal amongst teachers, front page of Mercury…. WHAT was this wretched man thinking??? I can’t even say innocent till proven guilty…he pleaded guilty….

On the way back we stopped and had a drink at Our Local (the Furneaux Tavern). And now Pete is cooking dinner – some of our gourmet sausages from Dave Madden, some of our Flinders veggies from Barbara and KR…

Pete told us such a funny story the other night, when we were having dinner with Steve and Margaret. All Headlams will know it but the rest of you…will know now! This happened when the Headlam family were living in Cressy, so Pete can have been no older than four; Angela wasn’t even born. Some of the cousins were there – part of the Nielsen clan. So a whole wicked little gang… The mail was delivered to big letterboxes at the end of the long farm driveways. Another family had a letterbox adjacent to the Headlams, where groceries were delivered as well as mail. The Gang of However Many raided the Wallace’s letterbox one fine day, and stole cigarettes which had been delivered… But…what to do? Well send in cute little Petey-Wetey! Pete toddled into the living room, where his father and a friend were sitting having a peaceful cup of tea. (Or maybe a whisky!!) “Excuse me, could I please have some matches?” Blink. Blink. from the adults… “And why, young Peter, would you be needing matches?” Pete looked at them with his big green eyes and said, “To light our cigarettes, of course!” And…the jig was up…

Wednesday 8.00am

Well we are up and away again – no horrid wind today. We got up a bit after 5 and left Lady Barron in the dark, with bright stars overhead. Now it is sunny and beautiful (cold..bbrrrr…) and we have just cruised past Mt Strzelecki, on our way to Deal island. So…all is well! We have also gone past beautiful Cape Barren Island and I have finally worked out that the two Barron/Barren names are not the same spelling...oh oops..